Parvati

Made during the Chola Dynasty, one of the most renowned periods of Indian sculpture, this figure of Hindu goddess Parvati was probably originally paired with one of her husband, the principal Hindu god Shiva (Śiva). Gracefully posed on a lotus base, Parvati wears a tall, ornate crown and sheer pants held up by an elaborate belt. Her upper body is adorned with intricate necklaces; her arms are embellished with armlets and bracelets; and rings ornament her fingers and toes. Through her elongated earlobes she wears floral jewelry that falls onto her shoulders. She may have once held a lotus flower or bud in her raised right hand.

The extreme length of her left arm echoes the curve of her hip. The harmony and elegance of her pose evokes the movements of a rhythmic dance. Every detail of her figure, from the diameter of her ankles to the position of each finger, is prescribed by strict canons of iconography and proportion that Indian craftsmen were required to follow in order to give tangible form to sacred concepts.